Erastus 10 remained in
Corinth, while I left Trophimus sick at Miletus.

21

Try to get here before winter. Eubulus, Pudens,
Linus, 11 Claudia, and all the brothers send greetings.

22

The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with all
of you.

1 [1-5] The gravity of the obligation
incumbent on Timothy to preach the word can be gauged from the solemn
adjuration: in the presence of God, and of Christ coming as universal judge,
and by his appearance and his kingly power (⇒ 2 Tim
4:1). Patience, courage, constancy, and endurance are required
despite the opposition, hostility, indifference, and defection of many to whom the
truth has been preached (⇒ 2 Tim 4:2-5).

3 [6] The apostle recognizes his
death through martyrdom to be imminent. He regards it as an act of worship in
which his blood will be poured out in sacrifice; cf ⇒ Exodus
29:38-40; ⇒ Philippians 2:17.

4 [7] At the close of his life Paul
could testify to the accomplishment of what Christ himself foretold concerning
him at the time of his conversion, "I will show him what he will have to
suffer for my name" (⇒ Acts 9:16).

5 [8] When the world is judged at the
parousia, all who have eagerly looked for the Lord's appearing and have sought
to live according to his teachings will be rewarded. The crown is a reference
to the laurel wreath placed on the heads of victorious athletes and conquerors
in war; cf ⇒ 2 Tim 2:5; ⇒ 1 Cor
9:25.

6 [9-13] Demas either abandoned the
work of the ministry for worldly affairs or, perhaps, gave up the faith itself
(⇒ 2 Tim 4:10). Luke (⇒ 2 Tim
4:11) may have accompanied Paul on parts of his second and third
missionary journeys (⇒ Acts 16:10-12;
⇒ 20:5-7). Notice the presence of the first personal
pronoun "we" in these Acts passages, suggesting to some that Luke (or
at least some traveling companion of Paul's) was the author of Acts. Mark, once
rejected by Paul (⇒ Acts 13:13;
⇒ 15:39), is now to render him a great service
(⇒ 2 Tim 4:11); cf ⇒ Col
4:10; ⇒ Philemon 1:24. For Tychicus, see
⇒ Eph 6:21; cf also ⇒ Acts
20:4; ⇒ Col 4:7.

8 [14-18] Alexander: an opponent of
Paul's preaching (⇒ 2 Tim 4:14-15), perhaps the one
who is mentioned in ⇒ 1 Tim 1:20. Despite Paul's
abandonment by his friends in the province of Asia (cf ⇒ 2
Tim 1:15-16), the divine assistance brought this first trial to a
successful issue, even to the point of making the gospel message known to those
who participated in or witnessed the trial (⇒ 2 Tim
4:16-17).

9 [19] Prisca and Aquila: they
assisted Paul in his ministry in Corinth (⇒ Acts
18:2-3) and Ephesus (⇒ Acts 18:19,
⇒ 26; ⇒ 1 Cor 16:19).
They risked death to save his life, and all the Gentile communities are
indebted to them (⇒ Romans 16:3-5).

10 [20] Erastus: he was the treasurer
of the city of Corinth (⇒ Romans 16:24); cf also
⇒ Acts 19:22. Trophimus: from the province of Asia,
he accompanied Paul from Greece to Troas (⇒ Acts
20:4-5).

11 [21] Linus: Western tradition
sometimes identified this Linus with the supposed successor of Peter as bishop
of Rome, and Claudia as the mother of Linus (Apostolic Constitutions, fourth
century).